Rep. Butch Wilkins, a Democrat from Bono, said that he intends to present a bill to the Arkansas legislature that would increase minimum wage to $8.25 an hour.

Wilkins said that the bill, which would take effect in early July if passed, is a result of several factors, most notably the low bar at which the current minimum wage is set.

“We are below the federal minimum, and some states even go up to $9.50 an hour,” he said. “We are increasing it to be in the average range.”

Currently, Arkansas’ minimum wage is set at $6.25 an hour, one dollar below the federal rate of $7.25 an hour. They are one of just four states whose minimum wage is below the federal rate. The last time the state raised the minimum wage was in 2006.

“I just know so many people are having problems making ends meet that are hard-working people,” he said. “They aren’t asking for anything for free. They’re just working hard, and I think they deserve a little more than they’re getting.”

The bill revives a debate about the economical effectiveness of increasing minimum wage, with both sides of the issue weighing in.

“One thing it tends to do is hurt entry-level employment,” Sen. Michael Lamoureux said when asked about potential minimum wage increases. “Companies tend to have to cut back on their hiring.”

“It’s really not in the legislator’s mind to set how much an employer should pay an employee,” he continued. “It’s hard to determine that.”

“There’s two ways to look at it,” said Nathan George, a former Arkansas representative who now teaches at Arkansas Tech. “Small-business owners say that it’s an expense to them, but times are hard right now. I don’t see a problem with raising it to the federal level.”

But Wilkins’ bill could see plenty of opposition in an Arkansas Congress that is now Republican-controlled following the November elections. Republicans outnumber Democrats 51 to 49 in the Senate and 21 to 14 in the House of Representatives, marking the first time Republicans controlled both the Arkansas Senate and House since the mid 19th century.

“I think there’s enough conservative conscience that I’d be really surprised if they raised it,” Kevin Mason, Head of Business at Arkansas Tech, said.

Wilkins said he would present the bill early in the session, which will begin on Jan. 14.

Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Missouri, Montana, Ohio, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington passed bills last year increasing their minimum wage, which took effect on Jan. 1. The state of Washington now has the highest minimum wage in the country at $9.19 an hour.